Neither resisting nor refusing reconciliation, says Gohar

ISLAMABAD: PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan Tuesday said the party’s founder chairman Imran Khan had clarified that he had not received any message from anywhere for talks. 

“No secret talks are taking place; if the message for talks comes, we will inform everyone,” Gohar said while replying to a question during his media talk outside the Adiala jail after having met Imran.

Gohar said owing to the absence of rule of law, everything was happening; rigging was done and Form 47 issue came up. He reiterated that his party would hold peaceful protests in every constituency against what he alleged the drama staged in the name of elections.

However, he made it clear that the protests would be peaceful, hoping that a day would come when the people would be able to exercise their right to vote in a transparent manner and democracy would gain strength. Gohar said Imran had expressed concern over the way the by-election was held and ballot boxes filled. “We condemn the drama created in the name of elections,” he charged.

The PTI chairman said pre-determined things came out in Punjab on the occasion of by-elections. He alleged the Election Commission did not give them a level playing field adding that the ROs were not taken from the judiciary despite their demand.

Barrister Gohar said the Election Commission had once again failed to conduct a free and fair election. He reminded the chief justice of Pakistan that their petitions should also be heard. “We demand from the Supreme Court that our stand on Form 45 should be heard,” he argued.

About the recently conducted Senate elections, he regretted that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa did not have representation in the Senate. He also clarified that they were neither resisting nor refusing reconciliation but fighting for their rights.

He again said Bushra Bibi was not remotely related to the Toshakhana case. The cases against Bushra Bibi have been made to put pressure on the founder of PTI, he said.

“We have not been told anything about her tests, as no results have been received yet. We had raised concerns about Bushra Bibi’s health,” he maintained. He pointed out there was a 14-hour hearing in the Adiala jail but they were not given a chance to give evidence.

The PTI leader said, “There can be no trial in jail; you should conduct an open trial. Today, the judge was requested but the media was expelled. Can the media ever be expelled?”

Meanwhile, a PTI spokesperson expressed surprise over the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) promptness in issuing the Form 47 of by-elections contrary to the fact that it took several days to issue the Form 47 of general elections in sheer violation of the law.

He said the ECP’s promptness in issuing Form 47 of by-elections was a clear proof that these fake forms had already been prepared through bullying, intimidation and rigging. He contended that after the mega polls robbery in the general elections, open theft of public mandate in the by-elections put a stamp on the bias, prejudice and criminal character of the ECP.